Hairopoulos: In Manziel and Te'o, Heisman race a showdown of unlikely candidates

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COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel #2 celebrates a first quarter touchdown during their game against the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field on November 24, 2012 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The race appears down to these two unlikely frontrunners — a rookie sensation from a suddenly hot program and a defensive player from a resurgent program, one of the best-known brands in college football.

The Aggies vs. the Irish. One traditional voting bias against the other.

If anyone else, such as Kansas State senior quarterback Collin Klein, is still in the mix, he will have to be incredible Saturday. That’s when Klein’s Wildcats play Texas and conference championship games are won.

So let the final push begin.

“Johnny Football” will finally be made available to the media Monday and Tuesday for the first time this season. Coach Kevin Sumlin doesn’t let young players speak to the media, but now that A&M’s 10-2 regular season is complete and Manziel is the Heisman leader in myriad surveys, the school is hosting a teleconference first and then a news conference in College Station.

If there’s such a thing as breathlessly awaited media availability for a 19-year-old, here you go.

Manziel finished his first season in his typical style. He broke 2010 Heisman winner Cam Newton’s SEC record for total offense in a season in A&M’s 59-29 blowout of Missouri on Saturday. The Aggies have won five straight, reached 10 wins for the first time since 1998, all in their first season in the vaunted SEC.

Heisman.aggieathletics.com features all related statistics and a highlight video that features Manziel’s penchant for exciting playmaking. The one where he chases down multiple defenders after an A&M fumble didn’t officially count, by the way, but it’s one of the best.

No freshman has won the Heisman, but no sophomore had either until Tim Tebow won in 2007. Sophomores Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Mark Ingram (Alabama) have won since.

Sumlin has weighed in with his support in recent weeks, saying that voters will appreciate where Manziel’s statistics rank.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel sounded impressed Saturday, too: “We’re talking about a great quarterback,” he said. “I’m going to suggest he made most of his plays running around back there like John Elway used to do.”

As for Te’o, he grabbed his seventh interception of the season Saturday in Notre Dame’s win at USC, a victory that put the undefeated Irish in the BCS national championship game. He’s been lauded as a leader, been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and played through the grief of losing his grandmother and girlfriend this season.

Michigan’s Charles Woodson is the only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman. Notre Dame’s Leon Hart, who won in 1949, played tight end and defensive end. Notre Dame has its own push at und.com.

“If a guy like Manti Te’o’s not going to win the Heisman, they should just make it an offensive award,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters after the win at USC. “Give it to the offensive player every year, and let’s just cut to the chase. He is the backbone of a 12-0 football team that has proven itself each and every week.

“If the Heisman Trophy is what it is, I just don’t know how Manti Te’o is left out of that conversation.”